The present invention relates to secure cash dispensing units used by tellers in banks or used by employees in other businesses for dispensing cash. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9ccashxe2x80x9d shall refer to either currency alone or currency and coin.
Automated cash handling equipment is utilized in banking, supermarkets, retail trade and gaming industries and anywhere else where large amounts of cash are handled.
One well known type of teller cash dispenser is used in banks, including drive-in windows, for dispensing cash, predominantly currency, to customers withdrawing cash. These teller cash dispensers are sometimes referred to as teller vaults or as teller security enclosures, depending on the level of security. They provide a sturdy, locked enclosure, like a safe, which is resistant to forcible entries and secure against unauthorized access to the substantial amounts of cash stored therein.
Inside the teller cash dispenser, there is often a drawer assembly with a number of cash drawers for holding different denominations of currency. For example, in the U.S., a six-drawer assembly could be used to hold dollar bills in the amount of $1, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100. In the UK, the denominations would be in pounds, while in other countries in the European Union, the currency would be in euros.
When the cash drawers are loaded, the drawer assembly can be quite heavy. Typically, the cash dispenser units are serviced through a front door, having a safe-type lock. In that event, the entire drawer assembly is moved forward and out of the unit with the drawers being accessible from the side of the exposed drawer assembly. In a prior commercial unit, the assembly slides out on a mechanism similar to a drawer slide. The guide rails are positioned near the bottom of the drawer assembly, much like a desk drawer. This places considerable weight on the slide mechanism, when the drawers are full, which can make it less than easy to operate in all circumstances. Therefore, the problem to be solved by the invention is to improve the mechanism for allowing the drawer assembly to be withdrawn from the body of the secure enclosure for loading and unloading of cash drawers.
The invention is provided in a secure enclosure with an enclosure body, a door on one side for opening and closing an access opening into the enclosure, a lock for securing the door to an enclosure body, and a cash drawer assembly with a plurality of drawers for holding a plurality of denominations of cash.
The invention provides a frame as part of the drawer assembly for carrying the drawers, the frame carrying sliding members near the top and at least one rolling device at the front for moving the drawer assembly out of the secure enclosure through the access opening. When positioned in the enclosure the body, the rolling device is received in an aperture in a bottom wall of the enclosure body. Normally, apertures are not favored in such secure containers. In fact, the invention must satisfy UL standards in the U.S. and Canada, which have been provided for such secure enclosures.
In the present invention, the aperture in the bottom wall has been permitted because the enclosure is so secured to a supporting floor that the aperture cannot be accessed or tampered within the security standards set by Underwriters Laboratories. This is a novel and nonobvious solution to the technical problem.
The invention provides a cash dispensing unit for tellers and other employees in which it is easier to move the cash drawer assembly in and out of the secure enclosure. The invention also conserves space within the enclosure. The invention also solves the problem of a lip or drop-off, if the aperture in the bottom wall of the enclosure were not provided.